Issues of Substance Use and Medication Misuse in Older Adults brought to you by PA Behavioral Health and Aging Coalition

Target Audience: This training is for all individuals who provide care to older adults, especially those who work in community settings such as aging care managers, housing staff, nurses, social workers, counselors, acute care and long-term care staff, substance abuse and mental health providers.

Objectives:It is the goal of this educational activity to assist professionals who provide care to older adults to understand the issues of substance abuse and medication misuse, to provide assessment and interventions, and to advocate for age-specific treatment.

At the completion of this seminar, participants will be able to:

Discuss the recent changes in the DSM 5 to “Substance Use Disorders” and “Addictive Disorders” and its implication in treatment.

Articulate the current and projected incidence and prevalence rates of older adults with substance use disorders.

Describe why the issues of substance and medication abuse/misuse in older adults are complex problems.